Sage Theatre's mandate is to present stage performances that are bold, intimate and thoughtful, and such shows don’t often come with easy solutions or happy endings.
This is especially true of Sage Theatre’s early years, after its founding in 1998. “Sage Theatre cut its teeth on dark, urban performances that explored humanity’s depth,” says Sage artistic director Jason Mehmel, listing plays like Judith Thompson’s Lion in the Streets and Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting and Filth. “There was a bite to the shows Sage Theatre was making,” Jason adds, singling out the company’s 2008 production about a transgender rock star – Hedwig and the Angry Inch – as particularly important in establishing Sage’s place on the Calgary theatre map.